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From: lkk@teddy.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Taxes: the cost of Civilization & Democracy: Reply to JoSH
Message-ID: <747@teddy.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 12-Jun-85 11:41:50 EDT
Article-I.D.: teddy.747
Posted: Wed Jun 12 11:41:50 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 14-Jun-85 01:02:56 EDT
References: <642@whuxl.UUCP> <672@abnji.UUCP> <227@kontron.UUCP>
Reply-To: lkk@teddy.UUCP (Larry K. Kolodney)
Organization: GenRad, Inc., Concord, Mass.
Lines: 44
Summary: 

In article <227@kontron.UUCP> cramer@kontron.UUCP writes:
>
>There are a great many nature preserves, private campgrounds and the
>like now available on a members only basis --- for many pleasant, but
>non-essential facilities like parks, it can be done.  Libraries are
>even simpler, since the mechanism is already in place --- library
>cards to check out books could just as easily be a card for admission
>as well.  Most of the public libraries I have used, and all the university
>libraries I have used already have an arrangement for people outside
>of the geographic limits or outside of the university community to 
>obtain a library card for money.  There's no reason not to expand
>this more generally.  (Privatizing libraries would also end the continual
>arguing about whether a book should be allowed or not.  Lest you think
>that this issue is entirely conservatives keeping smut out of libraries,
>let me mention that San Franciso Public Library removed some of 
>Rudyard Kipling's books for being "racist" at the request of the
>well organized leftists.)
>
>When I ran for Santa Monica City Council (*very* unsuccessfully) several
>years ago, I did a little digging through the city budget.  I found that
>less than 50% of the city's residents used the library, according to the
>library's own figures.  (No, I don't mean they had library cards, I mean
>*used* the library.)  Yet everyone in the city, and everyone who shopped
>in Santa Monica, was paying taxes to support it.  Why should everyone be
>forced to pay for a non-essential (though pleasant) service that only
>a minority use?


The people who actually go to the library and take out the books are
not the only ones to benefit from its existence.  A well educated populace
benefits all by making for a richer civilization.  
	
Same is true for parks.  Having these available provides a vital
outlet for urban dwellers in our society.  Even if you don't use
any parks, your neighbors probably do, thus making for happier neighbors,
and a nicer society in general.

-- 
larry kolodney

A Friend of the Devil

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